Monday, February 16, 2015

UPDATE: Brunswick Couple "Lucky To Be Alive" Following Morning Accident on Collar City Bridge

UPDATE (Feb. 17):
NYS Department of Transportation officials have said the snow on the shoulders of Alternate Route 7 has been removed.

TROY >> A Brunswick couple is “lucky to be alive” after their truck spun out of control on Alternate Route 7 and drove off the Collar City Bridge on packed snow on the side of the bridge which acted like a ramp, police said.
The unidentified couple, in their mid-30s, was driving westbound on Alternate Route 7 around 6:20 a.m. when their Toyota Tunda truck became out of control due to ice on the bridge.
“They hit a snowbank on the side of the bridge and it was like a ramp,” said Troy Police Capt. Dan DeWolf. “They went up and over, and landed on the roof of the vehicle in another snowbank. They’re lucky to be alive.”
DeWolf said they landed in a parking lot area near 5th Avenue behind the new Unity House facility on 6th Avenue. A snowbank on the ground broke some of the fall.
Both the male driver and his female passenger complained of some pain following the incident. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, DeWolf said. Their current conditions were not immediately available.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Similar accidents involving a snowbank acting like a ramp have happened before both locally and regionally. DeWolf commented that the roads would be safer if the snow was removed from the sides of the bridge.
The Collar City Bridge was later closed down for about 30 minutes starting at around 7:30 a.m. to further salt the bridge. Other accidents were reported on the on-ramps and off-ramps of Alternate Route 7 on the bridge due to slippery conditions, said DeWolf.
“The issue is that it’s too cold for the salt to really work,” he added. “The State Department of Transportation put down a lot of salt, even before the accidents.”
Danielle Sanzone may be reached at 290-8362.

This information came from the NYSDOT after deadline:

"the right shoulder areas on the bridge in both directions have been cleared, as well as the left shoulder area on the eastbound side of the bridge, and half of the left shoulder area on the westbound side of the bridge. The remaining shoulder work should be cleared within the next 24 hours, weather permitting."

From NYSDOT spokesman Bryan Viggiani:

"Safety is our number one priority, and during the heart of a snowstorm, that means removing the roadway of snow to make travel safe for all motorists. Once the storm passes and the travel lanes are clear of snow, we then focus on the post-storm clean-up, which includes removing snow from the shoulders, catch basins and sides of bridges. Post-storm operations usually takes many days following the snowfall, depending on the amount and the intensity of the previous storms. We continue to urge the public to drive with extreme caution during the snow season, even after the travel lanes are free of snow."